The present invention relates to connectors for communication wires and cables, and particularly to a connector terminal housing in a communication jack assembly.
A compact communications jack connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,442 (issued Mar. 17, 1992). The known connector is formed from a unitary lead frame in which eight flat, elongated conductive elements connect spring jackwire terminals at one end of the frame with corresponding wire connection terminals at the other end of the frame. The wire connection terminals are insulation displacement connectors (IDCs) of the xe2x80x9cslotted-beamxe2x80x9d type. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,027,536 (issued Mar. 27, 1962); U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,587 (issued Mar. 19, 1974) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,449 (issued May 2, 1989).
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,442 discussed above (hereinafter the ""442 patent), the lead frame is placed against a bottom surface of a dielectric spring block, the jackwire terminals are wrapped around a tongue-like protrusion on the block, and the elongated conductive elements are positioned flat and parallel to one another on the block bottom surface. Individual IDC terminals of the lead frame are folded onto side surfaces of the block. Slots in the IDC terminals align with corresponding wire-receiving slots formed in the block, and a cover is placed around the block including the wrapped IDC terminals. The tongue-like protrusion of the block is received in a jack frame, and the jackwire terminals are aligned so that, when a connecting plug is inserted the jack frame, the jackwire terminals connect electrically with corresponding wire leads in the plug.
A communication jack made by AMP Corporation (Part No. 557901-1) and intended for high data rate applications includes a printed wire board, jackwires that emerge from a top surface of the board and bend sharply back over the board, and sets of wire connection terminals at the sides of the board. Two separate terminal covers are each held in place by pins which pass horizontally through openings in the terminal bases. The top surface of the wire board is left exposed between the separated terminal covers. A front end of the board slides into a jack frame, and tabs on the sides of the board snap in slots in rear sidewalls of the jack housing. The jack housing also has a rear bottom wall that extends over the bottom surface of the wire board.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,647 (issued Feb. 16, 1993), which is incorporated herein in its entirety, shows a high frequency electrical connector similar to the mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,442; but wherein certain pairs of the parallel conductive elements cross over one another as a means for reducing crosstalk. Other arrangements for reducing crosstalk are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,484 (issued Jul. 11, 1995); U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,956 (issued Apr. 5, 1994); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,270 (issued Dec. 3, 1996) each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
It is also known to construct a terminal post with a retaining portion formed of two arcuate spring members which are separated by an opening, thus resembling a xe2x80x9cneedle eyexe2x80x9d. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,964 (issued Jun. 10, 1980). See also Design Patent No. 345,268 (issued Jan. 10, 1995) showing a telecommunications terminal clip having a slotted retaining portion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,628 (issued Jan. 30, 1979) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,985 (issued Apr. 21, 1981) show IDC terminals that are formed to be mounted inside of connector modules or housings.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,896 (issued Jul. 20, 1999), which is incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a communication jack assembly suitable for high data rate applications. The communication jack of U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,896 (hereinafter the ""896 patent) includes a wire board having conductive paths that extend between a jackwire terminal region at a first portion of the board and a wire-connection terminal region at a second portion of the board. A number of spring jackwires extend through the jackwire terminal region, to connect with a communication plug when placed in the jackwire terminal region. The jackwires connect at one end to corresponding conductive paths on the wire board, and the conductive paths form a part of at least one communications signal path when the plug is connected to the jackwires. The conductive paths may be configured to compensate for crosstalk otherwise developed in a signal path once the plug is mated with the jack. A dielectric terminal housing is formed to protect the wire-connection terminal region on top of the wire board, and a cover is formed to protect the connection terminal region on the bottom of the board. The wire board is captured between the housing and the cover when the housing and cover are joined to one another.
Unfortunately, the dielectric terminal housing of the ""896 patent may produce variability in the wiring upon installation of the jack, particularly, upon termination of the wires into the housing. The quality of a communication channel lies in the quality of the medium in which the data is being communicated as well as the quality of the connections of the mediums. Variability in the connection of the jack may lead to undesirable results and inconsistencies (e.g. crosstalk errors). Due to the inconsistencies caused in the variability, errors cannot be consistently accounted for or rectified.
Accordingly, a need exists for a dielectric terminal housing that reduces the variability of the wiring during installation of the jack. In accordance with the present invention, variability can be reduced by eliminating termination techniques that lead to de-twisting of pairs, and/or that produce open loops. A need also exists for a housing that allows for easier wiring, and thus easier installation of the jack.
The present invention provides a terminal housing body for receiving a wire pair, the terminal housing body having a front end and a rear end, comprises a base wall having a top portion. The terminal housing body also comprises a channel formed in the top portion of the base wall for receiving the wire pair, the channel extending from the rear end toward the front end. The channel is adapted to guide the direction of the wire pair. The body further comprises a plurality of wire guide posts that extend from the top portion, are joined by the base wall, and ran along opposing sides of the top portion of the base wall from the rear end to the front end of the terminal housing body. Grooves separated by adjacent ones of the wire guide posts and having openings into the channel for receiving the wires of the wire pair are also included in the body.
In accordance with another embodiment, the present invention provides a communication jack assembly that includes a terminal housing portion for receiving a wire pair. The terminal housing portion has a front and a rear end, and includes a base wall having a top portion. The terminal housing portion further comprises a channel formed in the top portion of the base wall for receiving the wire pair and extending from the rear end toward the front end. The channel is adapted to guide the direction of the wire pair. The terminal housing portion further comprises a plurality of wire guide posts extending from the top portion and joined by the base wall and running along opposing sides of the top portion of the base wall from the rear end to the front end of the terminal housing portion. Grooves separated by adjacent ones of the wire guide posts and having openings into the channel for receiving the wires of the wire pair are also included in the housing portion.
In accordance with yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a terminal housing body for receiving a first wire pair, the terminal housing body having a front end and a rear end, includes a base wall having a top portion. The body further comprises a first channel formed in the top portion of the base wall for receiving the first wire pair and extending from the rear end toward the front end and a second channel formed in the top portion of the base wall for receiving a second wire pair and extending from the rear end toward the front end of the housing body. A plurality of wire guide posts extending from the top portion and joined by the base wall and running along opposing sides of the top portion of the base wall from the rear end to the front end of the terminal housing body are also included. The body further comprises grooves separated by adjacent ones of the wire guide posts that have openings into one of said first or second channels for receiving the wires of the first and second wire pairs and a divider formed from the base wall and extending upwards for separating the first channel from the second channel.
Embodiments of the present invention successfully overcome those aforementioned and/or other shortcomings of the prior art. Ease of installation is provided with channels and ramps. Angled grooves for receipt of wires provide for less open loops among twisted wire pairs, and a divider and separator are utilized to provide proper inter-wire pair spacing.